Cotton-chopper.



H. H. HOOD.4

COTTON OHOBPER. l P PLIcATIoN nur) 51:21.23. moa.

925,475. Patented June 22, 1909.

SHEETS-SHEET l..

I @Kiwi lH. H. HOOD.

COTTON GHOPPER.

APPLIcATIoN num sr'g.za,19oa.

Patented June 22, 1909.I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARVEY HARRISON HOOD, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Application filed September 23, 1908. Serial No. 454,291.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY H. HOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Ootton-Ohopper, of which thefollowing is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to cotton choppers, and more particularly tothat class which are comprised of a frame mounted for travel and askeleton drum mounted for rotation in the frame and carrying choppinghoes.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to obviate side draft,and, in order to attain this object, I mount the chopping .hoes at theextremities of arms which are supported for rotation with a skeletondrum, providing two series of such arms and alternating the arms of oneseries with those of the other, the chopping hoes upon one series ofarms being opposed to those upon the arms of the other series.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the depth ofcut of the hoes may be regulated, and, as a means for attaining thisobject, I mount the skeleton drum of the chopper in a frame which ismounted to swing vertically in the main frame, the first mentioned framebeing supported at its rear end by means of springs which depend from anarched frame supported upon the main frame. These springs tend tonormally hold the first mentioned frame raised, and I provide the saidframe with an upward and rearward extension, carrying a foot-rest, whichis located directly in front of the seat for the driver of the chopper,he being enabled, by the provision of such a structure, to exert adownward pressure u pon the rear cnd of the said frame, to lower theframe and cause the chopping hoes to cut deeper into the soil.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cottonchopper cmbodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewtherethrough, showing the supplemental frame in which the choppingmechanism is mounted, in normal position in full lines, and in loweredposition in dotted lines; Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view, show ingthe manner of mounting the arms carrying the hoes and the elementsassociated therewith, and Fig. 4l is a detail perspective of one of thecam disks for operating the hoc arms.

A s shown in the drawings, the cotton chopper embodying my invention, iscomprised, broadly speaking, of a main frame and a supplemental frame,in which latter the chopping mechanism is mounted. The main frame of themachine is made up of side sills 5, a front end cross sill 6, and across-bar 7, which connects the rear ends of these side sills 5.

In addition to the front end cross sill, the forward ends of the sidesills 5 are connected by means of spaced bars 8, between which extendsthe rear end of the pole or tongue 9, of the chopper, the draft devices,which are indicated by the numeral 10, being connected to the upper oneof the two bars 8.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the main frame of thechopper is supported by an axle 11, upon which are keyed, or otherwisesecured, wheels 12, it being understood that the aXle rotates during thetime of travel of the chopper.

rlhe supplemental frame heretofore mentioned is comprised of side sills13, which at their forward ends are hinged to the front end cross-sill6, as indicated by the numeral 14, and are connected at their rear endsby means of a bar metal frame 15, which forms an extension of the saidsupplemental frame, and extends upwardly from the rear thereof andthence rearwardly therefrom above the axlek 11, and to the rear of thesame.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the rear or connectingportionsof the frame supports a foot-rest 16, which eX- tendstransversely of the machine and directly in advance of a seat 17,supported by means of suitable standards 18, upon the main frame, at therear end thereof.

As heretofore stated, the supplemental frame is yieldably supported inthe main frame, so that it may be raised and lowered by swinging it uponthe hinges 14, and as a means for so supporting the frame, an archedframe 1Q, is secured at its lower ends to the side sills 5, of the mainframe. The frame 19 extends upwardly above the main frame of the machineand transversely thereof, and is formed adjacent its upper end withlaterally off-set portions 20, through each of which is passed a shortrod 21,' the upper end of each rod 21 is screw-threaded and has engagedupon it a nut 22, which may be turned to adjust the respective rodsthrough said 0H- set portion of the frame. Each of the rods is formed atits lower end with an eye 23, to which is connected the upper end of aspring 24, the lower ends of these springs being connected one to eachof the side sills 6, of the supplemental frame. As will be readilyunderstood, the tendency of these sprin s is to hold the supplementalframe raise said frame being de ressed to the roper degree by the drivero the machine p acing his foot upon the foot-rest 16 and pressing down-Wardly.

Journaled in the side sills 13 of the supplemental frame of the machineis a shaft 25, and fixed upon this shaft, in concentric relation withrespect thereto, one adjacent each of the side sills 13, is a pair ofdisks 26, which constitute the heads of the skeleton drum in which thehoe-carrying arms are mounted. These heads are connected in spacedrelation by means of brace-rods 27, and each head is provided with anumber of bearin openings through which are slidably passe bars 28. Eachof the bars 28 is provided, at a point intermediate its ends, with aslot 29, and enlgqaged through the slot 29 of each bar 28 is aoe-carrying arm 30, the said arms being ivoted in the slots of the bars,as indicate( by the numeral 31, and being also pivoted at their innerends, as at 32, to an enlarged portion 33, of the shaft 25. At theirouter ends, the hoe-carrying arms 30 are provided with hoes, each hoecomprising a blade portion 33 and a shank 34, which latter is formedwith two or more yoke portions 35, which embrace the ends of therespective arms and through which are engaged set screws 36, for thepurpose of securely holding the shank of the hoes 1n adjusted positionsu on the arms.

The ends of the s aft 25 pass axially through disks 37, each of which isformed with a cam or volute portion 38, which extends around theperiphery of the disks.

As clearly shown in the drawings, and particularly in Fig. 1 thereof, aspring 39, is connected at one end to each of the arms 30, and at itsother end to one of the disks 26, the tendency of these springs being torock the arms in the direction of the disks to which the springs areconnected, the movement of the arms being limited by the engagement ofthe outer end of the bar 28 with the cam portions ofthe disks 37, therebeing rollers 40 arranged at the outer end of each of the bars 28 totravel over the said cam surface and reduce the friction as far aspossible.

As will be observed in Fig. 4 of the drawings, one terminal of the camportion of each disk is abrupt, as indicated by the numeral 41, sothat,upon rotation of the shaft 25 together with the drum comprised of thehead 26 and connecting rod 27, the bars 28 will be gradually moved awayfrom the disks which they engage, and in the direction of the otherdisks, the arms 30 being rocked upon their pivots against the tension ofthe springs 39;

it being understood that as the rollers at the outer ends ofthe bars 28ride over the abrupt terminals of the cam portions of the respectivedisks, the springs will impart a quick swinging movement to the arms, sothat the hoes carried by the arms will kick or dig into the soil andremove the proper number of plants.

As heretofore stated, and as shown in the drawings, the arms 3() arealternately arranged, or in other words, where one arm is arranged tomove toward the right-hand side of the frame, the two adjacent arms willbe arranged to move toward the left-hand side of the frame, the hoes atthe ends of the arms being oppositely presented. As a result, the hoesof the machine will dig alternately to the right and left, side draftbeing in this manner obviated.

The rotation of the shaft 25 is had through the medium of sprocket gears42 and 43 xed upon the drums, shaft and the axle, and a sprocket chain44 which is trained over the said gears.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure, by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cotton chopper, a rotatable shaft, relatively fixed disksmounted upon Vthe shaft, the said disks being provided with volutesections, arms pivotally connected with the shaft, chopping bladescarried by the arms, longitudinally movable bars pivotally connectedwith the said arms, and bearing at their ends against the volutesections of the disks and tension springs operatively connected with thesaid arms.

2. In a cotton chopper, a rotatable shaft, relatively fixed disksmounted upon the shaft, said disks having each a volute section, armspivotally connected with the shaft, chopping blades carried by the arms,disks mounted upon the shaft for rotation therewith, bars slidablymounted in the said disks and bearing at their ends against the volutesections of the first mentioned disks, and tension springs operativelyconnected with the arms.

3. In a cotton chopper, a rotatable shaft, relatively xed disks mountedupon the shaft and provided with volute sections, arms pivotallyconnected with the shaft, chopping blades carried by the arms, disksmounted upon the shaft for rotation therewith, slidable bars passingtransversely through the last mentioned disks and pivotally connected atintermediate points with intermediate portions of the said arms, saidbars bearing at their ends against the relatively fixed disks, andsprings operatively connected with the said arms.

4. In a cotton chopper, a main frame, an axle mounted in the main frame,a supplemental frame hinged at its forward end in the main frame at apoint in advance of the axle,

the said supplemental frame having its rear supplemental frame at itsrear end and eX- 10 end portion extending upwardly directly in 'tendingdirectly in advance of the seat. advance ol said axle and t'heneerearwardly In testimony that I elam the foregoing as above the axle, aseat mounted in the main my own, l have hereto a'll'ixed. my signaturel" frame rearwardly of the axle and ol the rear n the presence of tWoWitnesses.

end of the supplemental frame, springs sup- HARVEY HARRISGN HOOD.porting the supplemental frame and norlitnesses: mally holding the samein elevated position, E. R. PRESTON,

and a foot rest carried transversely upon the NEILL R. GRAHAM.

